Two pass gas circulating separator



Oct. 18, 1955 s. o. MULLINS TWO PASS GAS CIRCULATING SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed March 12, 1954 ,z 0004// x h n x x Oct. 18, 1955 s. o. MULLINS TWO PASS GAS CIRCULATING SEPARATOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 12, 1954 United States Patent O TWO PASS GAS CIRCULATING SEPARATOR Sidney 0. Mullins, Gary, Ind., assignor to United States Steel Corporation, a corporation of New Jersey Application March 12, 1954, Serial No. 415,718

2 Claims. (Cl. 263-47) This invention relates to two pass gas circulating separators for coil annealing furnaces and more particularly for such separators which are used between coils of strip piled on end in an annealing furnace. One type of such Separator is shown in the patent to Dailey No. 2,489,0l2, dated November 22, 1949. The Separator shown therein is a single pass Separator and has proved to be successful in use. However, I have found that the gases between the two bottom coils tend to short circuit, that is, instead of the gases passing out between the Separator they continue downwardly through the opening in the bottom coil. As a result these coils do not reach the annealing temperature as quickly as the remaining coils.

It is therefore an object of my invention to provide a two pass gas circulating Separator which will positvely cause the hot gases to pass between adjacent coils.

This and other objects will be more apparent after referring to the following specification and attached drawings, in which:

Fgure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a coil annealing furnace;

Figure 2 is a vertical sectional view through the separator of my invention;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line III-III of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a View taken on the line IV--IV of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to Figure l of the drawings, reference numeral represents any suitable masonry foundation having a chamber 12 therein for giving access to the under side of an annealing furnace. Suitably supported on the foundation is a structural steel marginal frame formed of channels or other rolled structural sections 14. Spanning the space between the members 14 are a plurality of floor beams 16 to which are secured a steel or other metal floor 18. Spaced from the marginal frame members 14 above the floor are channel members 20, the space between outer members 14 and the members 20 being partially filled with a gas sealing medium 22 such as sand. An outer annealing furnace cover 24 is provided having at its lower end a downwardly projecting lip 26 which enters the sand seal 22. The outer cover 24 has a refractory lining 28 of conventional form and is equipped with a bottom frame 30 which takes its bearing on the channel members 20. The outer cover will be equipped with any conventional annealing furnace heating means such as radiant tubes which, forming no part of the present invention, are not further shown.

Resting on the floor 18 of the furnace proper is a stand indicated as a whole at 32. This stand includes a bottom plate 34 supporting a body of refractory material 36 which is partially enclosed by an outer ring 38 welded or otherwise secured to the base plate 34. Seated on top of the stand is an intermediate plate 40 having upstanding ribs 42 on which rests a top plate 44. The parts 40, 42 and 44 jointly constitute a stool loosely restng on the stand 32, this stool being adapted to have stacked on top ICC thereof a plurality of coils of flat steel strip such as indieated at C, C C and C While four such coils are shown in the drawing it will be understood that there may be more since present day practice involves piling the coils one on top of another to a height of ten feet or more. Each stack of coils is adapted to be enclosed by an inner sheet metal cover 46. A deoxidizing gas i' adapted to be introduced by way of supply pipe 48 and is discharged through a laterally extending nozzle 50 into the passageway defined by the ribs 42 and the'top and bottom plates of the stool. A fan impeller 52 is adapted to be driven by any conventional form of fan mechanism 54 which may be secured to a housing 56 which in turn is secured to the bottom plate 34 of the stand.

The lower end of the inner cover 46 enters a body of sealing material such as sand or the like, indicated at 58, retained in an annular seal portion between the refractory body 36 and the outer shell 38 of the coil stand.

The apparatus so far described is old and is shown in the above mentioned Dailey patent. Mounted between the coils C and C is the Separator 60 of my invention. Separators 62 of the type shown in the above mentioned Dailey patent are interposed between coils C and C and C and C The Separator 60 comprises a pair of spaced plates 64 and 66 which are provided with central apertures 68 and 70, respectively. The plates are substantially co-extensive with the base of the coils so that the coils are supported substantially over the full area of the base. An annular plate or ring 72 extends between and connects the pair of plates 64 and 66 at their outer circumferences. An intermediate deflector plate 74 is provided between the plates 64 and 66 and is arranged in spaced relationship with the circumferential plate 72. A plurality of vanes 76 are provided between the plates 66 and 74 and are preferably fastened thereto. A plurality of similar vanes 78 are provided between the plates 64 and 74 and are preferably fastened thereto. The vanes extend from the plate 72 to a point adjacent the apertures 68 and 70. The arrangement of the vanes is preferably the same as that shown in the above mentioned Dailey patent. While the direction of travel of the deoxidizing gases may vary they are preferably drawn down through the center of the coils and separators and exhausted up around the outside of the coils. In other words, the direction of travel is preferably opposite to that shown in the Dailey patent. As the gases approach the top of the Separator 60 they enter the aperture 70 and are deflected by means of the plate 74 so that they pass outwardly through a passageway 80 between the vanes 76, downwardly through a passageway 82 between the edge of the plate 74 and the circumferential plate 72, then inwardly through passageways 84 between the vanes 78 and then downwardly through the aperture 68. In this way the gases are forced to heat the bottom of the coil C and the top of coil C. While the plates 64 and 66 are shown solid except for the central aperture it will be understood that these plates as well as plate 74 may be provided with a plurality of perforations corresponding to the perforations 70 and 72 of the Dailey patent and/or slits or cuts corresponding to the slits or cuts 78, 7811, 78b of the Dailey patent.

While one embodiment of my invention has been shown and described it will be understood that other adaptations and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the following Claims.

I claim:

1. A gas circulating Separator adapted to be interposed between the individual coils of a vertical pile of coils being annealed, comprising a pair of vertically spaced centrally apertured plates, each of said plates being substantially co-extensive with the base of the coils with the coil being adapted to rest on the upper of said plates at their ou ter crcurnferences, an intermediate deflector 'plate between and substantialiy parallel to said pair of plates with its outer periphery spaced from said means,

anda .plurality of spaced apart vanes definirg gas circu-.

lating passages on each side of said deflector plate, said intermediate plate extend'ng radially inwardly beyond the periphery of said apertres. r

2. A gas ireuiating Separator adapted to be interposed between -the individual eoils of a vertical pileof coils being annealed, comprising a pair of vertcally spaced centrally apertured plates, each of said plates being substantially co-extensive with the base of the coils with the coi] bei-ng adapted to rest on the upper of said plates over most ;of its area, a plate closing the pair of plates at their outer crcumfe'enees, an intermediate plate between and substantially parallel to said pair of plates arranged in spaced relationship with said eiremfe'ential plate, and a References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,489,012 Dailey, Jr Nov. 22, 1949 2,607,577 Straub Aug. 19, 1952 2,67L656 Winder Mar. 9, 1954 2,678,815 Radlinski May 18, 1954 

